Method for associating objects in a manufacturing process

1. A computer implemented method in a data processing system within a manufacturing environment for associating objects in a manufacturing process, the computer implemented method comprising: determining by the data processing system whether one or more parts or subassemblies need to be installed in a manufacturing unit during a manufacturing process to build the manufacturing unit; responsive to determining that one or more parts or subassemblies need to be installed in the manufacturing unit, installing by the data processing system the one or more parts or subassemblies in the manufacturing unit; recording by the data processing system a time for when the one or more parts or subassemblies were installed in the manufacturing unit; locating entries for all parts and subassemblies associated with each of the one or more parts or subassemblies installed in the manufacturing unit within a database by the data processing system; creating an entry within the database by the data processing system that includes an installing event for each of the one or more parts or subassemblies installed in the manufacturing unit, the time of the installing event for each of the one or more parts or subassemblies installed in the manufacturing unit, and the entries for all the parts and the subassemblies associated with each of the one or more parts or subassemblies installed in the manufacturing unit; determining by the data processing system whether one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies need to be removed from the manufacturing unit during the manufacturing process to build the manufacturing unit; responsive to determining that one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies need to be removed from the manufacturing unit, removing by the data processing system the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies from the manufacturing unit; recording by the data processing system a time for when the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies were removed from the manufacturing unit; locating entries for all parts and subassemblies associated with each of the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies removed from the manufacturing unit within a database by the data processing system; and creating an entry within the database by the data processing system that includes a removing event for each of the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies removed from the manufacturing unit, the time of the removing event for each of the one or more parts or subassemblies installed in the manufacturing unit, and the entries for all the parts and the subassemblies associated with each of the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies removed from the manufacturing unit.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the entries for all parts and subassemblies associated with each of the one or more parts or subassemblies installed in the manufacturing unit include an event and an event time for each of the all parts and subassemblies associated with each of the one or more parts or subassemblies installed in the manufacturing unit, and wherein the entries for all parts and subassemblies associated with each of the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies removed from the manufacturing unit include an event and an event time for each of the all parts and subassemblies associated with each of the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies removed from the manufacturing unit.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the database includes a table, and wherein the table is a history table of manufacturing events in the manufacturing process to build the manufacturing unit.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the manufacturing unit is a build-to-order product.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the history table is one of a plurality of history tables in the database.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the history table of the manufacturing events in the manufacturing process to build the manufacturing unit is output to a display device for a user to review.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the time is a timestamp, and wherein the timestamp determines when the one or more parts or subassemblies were installed into the manufacturing unit or when the one or more previously installed parts or subassemblies were removed from the manufacturing unit.